Sixteen-year-old Syndrela Das is living the kind of dream many young table tennis players spend years imagining. In the space of a few months, the teenager from Kolkata has gone from competing in the junior circuit to rubbing shoulders with some of the biggest names in the sport, earning a rightful place in the World Team Table Tennis Championships earlier this summer and then in India’s squad for the 2026 Asian Games and now making her mark in Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT).
The transition has been swift, but Das is embracing every challenge that comes her way. Whether it is facing world-class foreign players in UTT, juggling studies while travelling almost non-stop, or adapting to the demands of senior-level competition, the youngster believes each experience is preparing her for the biggest stage of her career yet.
On the sidelines of the ongoing seventh edition of Ultimate Table Tennis in Goa, Das spoke to Hindustan Times about her Asian Games selection, how UTT is helping her prepare for the continental event, balancing academics alongside an increasingly hectic international calendar, and the full-circle moment of going from taking a photo with Manika Batra as a fan in 2018 to facing, and defeating, the Indian star on her debut UTT match. Here are excerpts…
Q) With the Asian Games just weeks away, how valuable is UTT as preparation? Is there one area of your game you’re consciously trying to sharpen before September?
The style in UTT is different. Every set counts here. So I think, on such a big stage, that’s how it is—every set counts and every point is very important. That’s the main thing I’m taking from here, and I’m adapting to this different style. Playing against both foreign and Indian players here is helping me improve my technical game. I’m constantly trying to make my techniques even better.
Q) UTT is very different from the international circuit. What has surprised you most about playing in a franchise league environment?
I wasn’t picked last year, but this season I was bought for double my base price by Dempo Goa Challengers. Honestly, things have been going really well. The team has been fantastic—they’ve supported me a lot and kept me motivated.
Q) You arrived at UTT almost immediately after competing at the Asian Youth Championships in Thailand. How physically and mentally demanding has that turnaround been?
I’ve been travelling continuously for the last four or five months, so it doesn’t really affect me anymore. But rest is important. After the Youth Championship, I got just one day of rest, and that was enough for me.
Q) You went from competing against players in your age group to facing some of the country’s and the world’s best at UTT. Was there an adjustment you felt that was needed?
Senior and youth-level competitions are definitely different. But I feel that when I play at the senior level and then go back to youth tournaments, I perform even better because I’ve already experienced that pressure and those intense rallies. After playing at that level, youth competitions feel a little easier, and it helps me adjust better.
Q) You mentioned you have been on the road for the last 4-5 months. How are you balancing academics while playing an increasingly demanding international calendar? How important has your family’s support been in helping you manage both?
My tuition teacher has been extremely supportive. She sends me voice notes so it’s easier for me to study. Whenever I’m tired and resting, I just listen to those notes. That’s the only way it’s possible right now because I’m playing so many tournaments and hardly get even a day to go back home My parents have played the biggest role in helping me get into table tennis. They’ve always told me just one thing: ‘Do what you love.
Q). When you received the call that you’d made India’s Asian Games squad, what was your immediate reaction? Who was the first person you spoke to?
I was just scrolling through my phone when my coach (Soumyadeep Roy) sent me the official announcement about my selection for the Commonwealth Championships and the Asian Games. I was really happy because I’d worked so hard for that moment. Then I told my parents, and everyone was very proud.
Q) Lastly, there was a lovely full-circle moment that has gone viral. In the 2nd edition of UTT, you posed for a picture with Manika Batra as a fan. This year you got to face her and you won the match. Did you ever imagine this moment would come? What was your initial reflection?
When I was young, my coach always told me, ‘It’s a long way to go.’ I guess this is part of that journey. Back then, I had just started playing professionally, and I had gone to watch UTT. I already knew Manika di, and I was very excited to meet her, so I was really happy to take a photo with her. Now, getting the chance to play alongside her is a huge thing for me. I have a lot of respect for her.
Q) Did you show it to Manika after the match?
Yes, absolutely. UTT also posted it. Actually, it was my father who had shared the photo after watching the match.
